Sask. Party ignores reality as thousands of full-time jobs are lost

January 06, 2017

Significant losses in key industries such as construction, agriculture, real estate, and the resource sector lead the way as Saskatchewan people were forced to deal with the reality of 12,400 fewer full-time jobs this year than last. According the Statistics Canada’s Labour force survey, release this morning, 2,600 of those jobs were cut in just last month.

“While other provinces saw growth in both full- and part-time jobs, here in Saskatchewan, more and more people are being forced to turn to part-time work while they struggle to make ends meet,” said NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon. “Workers and families across the province are paying the price for Sask. Party’s refusal to properly diversify economy and create jobs. Instead, the Sask. Party has cut education and training programs that work and given major projects like the Regina bypass to out of province and even foreign companies.”

Just days after the Sask. Party announced their decision to slash twelve health regions down to one, the facts continue to prove that Sask. Party mismanagement and waste is hurting Saskatchewan’s health services. According to Statistics Canada 1,800 health and social services workers have been thrown out of work since last year.

“The Sask. Party government is refusing to come clean about how they are failing the people of Saskatchewan but the facts speak for themselves,” said Wotherspoon. “That’s true for education and healthcare and it’s true for our province’s most vulnerable. Despite a lot of empty talk about reconciliation, the unemployment rate for Indigenous people living off reserve continues to be unacceptably high and we know it’s worse for those living on reserve. It is simply unacceptable that the government continues to do nothing to address this and create opportunity.”

Wotherspoon also noted that the job losses this year compared to last were in addition to the 10,400 more Saskatchewan people who found themselves out of work in December 2015 compared to the year before.

“These aren’t small figures that can just be brushed off by weak spin from the Sask. Party. These are real Saskatchewan people who struggling to keep a roof over their heads and their struggle should be taken seriously by their government,” Wotherspoon said. “Instead of helping, the Sask. Party is continuing to make Saskatchewan people pay for their mismanagement, scandal and waste with more cuts and claw backs that make it harder for folks to get mortgage-paying, family-supporting jobs.”